Fraudulent calls claiming to be from Promutuel Insurance: How do you recognize them and protect yourself?
Have you ever received an unknown call telling you that you’ve won a cruise? While the anecdote may raise a smile, it also reveals a disturbing and seemingly growing trend: phone scams.
A sign that this phenomenon is nothing new: this year marks the 25th anniversary of Fraud Prevention Month, an annual campaign launched by the Government of Canada. The initiative aims to help people detect, reject, and report fraud. In 2024 alone, the Competition Bureau revealed that total losses due to fraud amounted to $638 million in Canada. To avoid becoming a statistic, it’s best to know how to separate what’s real from what’s fraudulent.
Hanging up on a cruise scam may be easy, but it can be more difficult when you think the unknown call is from your insurer. Because your safety and the security of your personal information matter to us, we’ve put together some valuable information to help you spot a suspicious phone call claiming to be from Promutuel Insurance.
Suspicious phone call: What should you do?
Someone contacts you claiming to be from Promutuel Insurance and tries to get personal information from you. First red flag! The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, an institution funded by police forces, offers many tips to help you protect yourself against fraud, the first being, don’t be afraid to say no! For its part, the Competition Bureau reminds you of the importance of protecting your identity in all circumstances and trusting your instincts.
In short, if you feel uncomfortable, hang up and call us on our official phone lines to determine whether or not you’ve been the victim of a fraud attempt. Feel free to block the suspicious number if we confirm that our team did not try to reach you.
If you can’t confirm the phone number, either because the call is from an unknown caller or the number is hidden, don’t answer.
I’m being asked for my credit card info: What should I do?
If you want to reduce the risk of fraud, contact us directly to make sure you’re speaking with the right team.
Important: If you’ve provided your banking information, immediately block your credit and debit cards by contacting your banking institution, either in person, online, by phone, or via its mobile app. If possible, be sure to block the original number by checking your call history.
How can you tell if you’re talking to an insurance agent?
You receive a suspicious phone call from someone claiming to represent Promutuel Insurance. Before you risk compromising your personal information and becoming a victim of fraud, make a note of the following:
- The individual’s full name
- Their number, if you can’t verify it on your caller ID
- The time of the call
- Any information that seems unusual, such as an aggressive tone or an exaggerated sense of urgency
If the person on the other end of the line insists on knowing this information, it’s time to end the call or even block the number. Hang up and contact your mutual to be sure.
Victim of fraud? Here’s what you should do.
Oh no! You’ve fallen victim to fraud as a result of an unknown call claiming to be from Promutuel Insurance. Start by visiting the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website and follow the recommended steps. If you think you’re in immediate danger, call 911.
If you’re safe, contact your Promutuel Insurance damage insurance representative to report the phone scam.
In the event of identity theft or breach of trust
In addition to suspicious phone calls, insured members or their families may be contacted in person or by email by individuals claiming to represent Promutuel Insurance. We encourage you to report such situations to us immediately.
What to remember in the event of attempted identity theft or suspicious interactions:
- Stay alert
- Promutuel Insurance will never contact you in person at your home or without an appointment.
- We will never ask for your banking or credit card information unless you have started a process yourself (such as taking out coverage or updating your file).
- Adopt the right habits
- Never disclose your personal or banking information to anyone whose identity you cannot verify.
- If you have any doubts, end the conversation and contact us directly through our official channels.
- Check your account statements regularly for unusual activity.
- Actively protect yourself
- Notify your financial institution if you have shared sensitive information.
- Visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website to find out what steps to take.
- Please feel free to report the incident to your local police department so they can follow up.
- Contact us to let us know about the situation so we can check the security of your file and apply the necessary protection and prevention measures.
Promutuel Insurance protects your information
Your privacy is as valuable as the trust you place in us. That’s why we make the security of our insured members’ personal information a top priority. How? By limiting how long we keep your personal information, using trusted web service providers to host it, and putting stringent security measures in place.
We only collect your information when we need it. We may do so by telephone, digital means, or other technologies, always with your consent.
Learn more on the Legal Notice and Confidentiality page of our website, where we share, among other things, the terms of use of our websites and the resources put in place to protect your privacy.
With phone scams on the rise, stay alert whenever you get a suspicious call claiming to be from Promutuel Insurance. When in doubt, don’t take any chances—contact us. Our team is THERE to put your mind at ease and help you protect what matters most, including your personal data.
